Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-21

Her Deck Ripped Up aud Sides
Blown Out or uattcras.

ing details of the explosion upon aud
wreck of the schooner Marts
The steamship Benefactor, OF Clyde's
Wilmington Line, arrived yesterday
afternoon, bringing Captain Henderson
and four of the crew of the three-mast-
ed schooner George S. Marts, who were
picked up while pulling for shore in a
yawl, on April 10th, eight miles off
Hatteras.
Captain HendersOn's story is that at
3 o'clock on the morning OF the 10th,
on bis way to Charleston, the weather
being very squally and the sea rough,
the vessel rolling badly, hep between
decks cargo shifted, and all hands were
ordered below to restore it, The
captain took the helm, AMI the
mate, whose name was Mute, pro.
yided himself with lamp or
lantern to superintend the work below
Two seamen followed him to the main
batch, the steward being close after
them. The other two seamen were in
the forecastle, or just coming out in
response to the call for all hands. The
mate caused the hatch to be opened,
and with the two seamen went down,
light in hand. Instantly there was a
tremendous explosion, which seemed to
split the main deck from stem to stern
and to blow out the sides of the ship
Immediately there were great masses
of flames. which forced their way ont
through the shattered deck and en-
velopCd the doomed vessel with IRE.
The yawl, the only boat the schoo-
ner carried, hung from dayits across the
stern. The captains first impulse was
to lower his boat. He was assisted to
do so by the steward. who fortunately
bad Eot yet reached the hatch. and by
the two sailors who came running from
the forecastle The yawl Was success
fully launched, and the captain, stew
ard, and two seamen had lowered them
selves into her, when n third seaman,
named Thompson, who WIS badly
furnod. came crawling aft and dropped
over The stern into the boat. He was
in a iriehtful condition, but that was
not noticed in the excitement of
the moment. The captain ordered the
yawl to be cut loose from the burning
schooner, and then he rowed around
and about her for nearly an hour,
shouting for the mate and his missing
companion and looking for them in the
water. After an hour had been spent
in this fruitless search, and the schoo-
ner was we'll burned throughout, her
m0sts having already gone by the
board, and there remaining no hope OF
finding the missing men or saving any
thing from the burning wreck, the
yawl was headed shorewar1 and tie
long pull for life begun The moon
through the clouds at inter
walls, sufficiently frequent to serve as u
guide to steer by until sunrise, when
the sun indicated the course.
Fairly in the morning huge turtle,
weighing from $50 to l75 pounds, was
caught mapping on the surface OF the
sea, and was secured to serve in case of
greater emergency, there not being
drop OF water or mOrsel of food OF
any kind in the boat.
IN the haste OF leaving the burning
wreck the men, all save the captain,
were without their coats, and no proyi-
SIGN had been made for a prolonged
cruise in the yawl. The captain,
however, was well and warmly clad,
bis usual garments being covered with
an Oil-cloth coat. They pulled that
night and until noon the next day,
when the steamer Benefsctor, bound
from Wilmington, n. c., to New York,
overhauled them and took them aboard.
At this time the seaman Thompson
was fairly overcome from the effects of
his burns His hair was entirely burned
of, and his head was swollen TO nearly
double its normal size with blisters.
his eyes were closed. His hands also
we're terribly burned and swollen. For
there were three physicians
omong the passengers on the Benefac-
Harrington and Latham, OF
this city, and Dr. Mulett, of Brook
yn-vho united their skill in min
steiing to the wounded man. Cap
ain Henderson thinks he IVES about |
thirty miles distant from Hatteras |
light when the disaster occurred. His
'argo consisted of $50 tons Of coal in
he hold and a hundred tons of gem
ral merchandise stored between decks.
lie is utterly at a loss to explain the
,xplosion, but he thinks it possible
hat the ship was struck by lightning,
here having been frequent flashes du-
ing the night. Captain Chichester,
II the Benefactor, says there was some
cry sharp lightning during that night.
tut the lightning would not account
or the explosion, unless there was
ONE explosive aboard ship, of which
'aptain Henderson insists that he
new nothing, though he admits that
ie did not superintend the loading,
nd does not know in detail OF what
he cargo consisted.
From other sources the Sun reporter
earned that there was quantity OF
asoline in the cargo. In the shifting
fthe cargo some Of this gasoline mus.
ave escaped from its packages and
lied the between decks with its fumes.
When the mates lamp came in contact
nth these fumes an explosion was the
atural result, and this threw the re-
naining stock of the inAammable liquid
ither aud tbither, spreading the fire
to all parts Of the vessel.
Jamea Mute, the mate, was a man OF
amily in Baltimore. The seaman who
'as killed with him was a negro known
My as Bob. The rest OF the crew
Fere Charles Thompson, the injured
nan, also negro Charles Anderson, ]